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[Og' Reh]

Dang! You go like nothing can stop you!

I'm stuck with preparations for family holidays, so my armor is packed and waiting. I hoped I could keep up with you, but gal, you just float through that proces.

[trashcanmando]

Haha, thanks! The two events coming up that I want to go to have lit a fire under me. 

More plate spacing! What I sincerely hope is the final front plates:



The spacing is about two thirds of my thumb, not my full thumb. If it looks too narrow I can trim around the plates just a tiny bit.  And they do end right at my belly button, but I think the ab plate might look a little long. I was thinking about letting down some hem on the flak vest, but it looks like I might need to trim off the ab plate instead. The shoulder plates are floating a little funky cause there's still no velcro on them, just one snap.

Back plates!



They aren't crooked now, but to compensate for the flak vest, I moved them about an inch to the right of my spine, which looked right on the mannequin. Problem is, I think it looks off on me. I'm going to hem in the extra material in the arm hole. Do you guys think it looks off like this, or should I move them to centered over my spine instead of going off the flak vest?

I'm also going to take up the back of the flak vest there- without the fourth plate, it's just empty space, and it covers like half my sash.

And a side shot for good measure!



My helmet is currently sitting in the garage with the third and last coat of silver drying, ready for gold, blue details, and blackwash and sealing tomorrow! Get the visor in that puppy, and I've got some pads coming this week! I'm hoping to be able to do pre-app pics in the first week of July.

[Shammah]

I desperately want to get out a marker and draw trim lines on those front plates. I'm a little concerned that there's still not enough gap between them and you could use the opportunity to tighten up the edges. All they really need is a little tweaking.

The back plates are definitely listing to the right as they go down. If you need to do some work on the vest, do that before messing with them - you may be able to hem the vest and fix the sloping plate problem at the same time. Maybe hem the left arm hole and see if it pulls everything over?

I like the hemming up/ removing material from the lower back of the vest. Again, think I'd hem the side first becauseit will change how the vest hangs in back. Really wish I'd taken a closer look at that vest at the armor party. Looks like you may need to have some kind of slope down from back to front (as viewed from the side) to get the back of the vest off the girth.

[trashcanmando]

Hmm, noted. Glad the front plates are close. I'll mess around in Sai tomorrow and throw up some suggestions for plate trimming.

While I'm going at the vest, I decided to add some snaps, cause right now the side just closes with velcro, and I'd like to make that a little more secure. I wasn't going to mess with it, but if I have to do alterations anyways, might as well. None of that should be too difficult. But that should take care of the slope from the back to the front- you aren't seeing things, I can confirm it's certainly there. I left it in cause when I was planning on a fourth back plate I needed the extra space. I'm resigned to moving the back plates over to center on my spine again... sigh. But it's gonna be so worth it.

In other news, look what I did today!









The helmet is fully painted, weathered, and sealed, and I could not be happier with it! At first I was having some serious doubts- the paint was bonding a little funny to the resin despite my sanding and primer, I had several close calls with overspray, when I taped for the blue detailing the masking tape did a little paint damage... But then halfway through blackwash, I realized something.

This is my buy'ce. Exactly as I planned almost eight months ago, coming to life in my hands. My own helmet- and it was shaping up to look pretty freakin' awesome.

I'm still waiting for the pads to come, and I need to find something to use for rangefinder lenses. I'm thinking leftover material from the welding visor. It doesn't even look remotely like you can see through it right now, but I did paint the two lights white and red. It doesn't look like actual lights, but I think they're pretty good.

[aforklikeutensil]

Helmet looks killer.  Nice work.

You're getting soooooo close.  I agree with Shammah on the plate size/placement and hemming feedback.  It's so hard to figure out how things are going to look until you really get them on.

Don't get discouraged.  We all go through the peaks and valleys of thinking you're there then having to revise.  Truthfully, that revision process never ends.

[Og' Reh]

I'm in love with that bucket! ;]

Personalised, weathered but not at the brink of falling apart. Really dig it!

So many wiser than me have already adviced you on snaps and trimming that I'm just gonna sit back and watch in awe how you become OMed before I return from holidays!

[Shammah]

The buy'ce came out great! I know how hard it is to take "feedback" on a kit. These are our children sprung from our minds and created by our hands. It's very difficult for us to take criticism on them. Just know that you're learning and we only have your best interest in mind. 

[trashcanmando]

Thanks, guys. I can't wait for the pads to come in. 

I don't mean to sound frustrated about the plates, I knew it'd be a finicky business, and I'm willing to change anything that needs it. I know that all the little tweaks and alterations is gonna make everything look ten times better. My kit isn't the most complicated or intricate, but I want what I've got to look as good as it can.

But moving snaps is still kriffin' painstaking! 

[aforklikeutensil]

But moving snaps is still kriffin' painstaking! 

Preach

[trashcanmando]

 

Okay, I haven't altered the flak vest yet, but that won't change anything in the front, so here's what I came up for possible plate trimming:



Flak vest outlined in white cause it's a little hard to see against the black flight suit. I tried to bleach it lighter once, but I guess I wasn't aggressive enough. Do you guys think it's worth it to try and bleach it out again? I'm scared it either won't do anything noticeable, or I'll end up with weirdly mottled white/gray/black.

Anyways, is this close to what you were thinking, Shammah? Some of the snaps are set pretty close to the edges, but it doesn't look like I need to trim very much.

[Kryamla Redalur]

I would try a color remover on the vest instead of using bleach. Bleach runs the rest of looking like tye dye. However, I would try the remover remover on a scrap piece of fabric to test it out (if you have extra fabric that is). I hate for you to ruin the vest if the color remover had a weird reaction.

I've never used color remover but I've read of others using it successfully to lighten fabric.

[Shammah]

That's the idea on trimming, not as wide as those lines, but those areas. Don't forget the two areas where the chest plates meet at the diamond.

As for bleach, full strength it will actually eat the fabric (which you will only realize after you wash it a couple of times). I would weather with lighter colors, then trust to time and washing to give a little more honest look.

Looking good though, keep it up. 

[trashcanmando]

Ooh, thanks for the ideas on the flight suit, I'll look around and see what I can do. Or maybe just let it go through the wash a few times, since I don't foresee washing my flak vest nearly as often. I'm scared to find out what the washing machine would do to all those snaps.

Here's the updated front plates! Still no velcro, and everything is still just under my actual thumb width, but I think it looks good?



The flak vest has been modified to snap shut as well as velcro at both the side and the collar, hemmed up in the back, and with some extra material added on the right side, which turned out to be my problem with the back, not the arm hole. Once I evened that out, I had my mom put tape down my spine, snapped the plates on, and they all lined up perfectly! No snap moving here! I'll get some pics of it on me with my flight suit and sash later, but I'm very happy with that.

And my finished rangefinder! There's a lens on the other side too, but it wasn't really worth a picture.



Padding for the helmet should come tomorrow!

[Boxception]

Vod your kit is coming along great. Also I'm impressed with how you at taking the feedback.  It's great that you keep hitting the ropes so to speak and finishing up what will be an amazing look.  Don't get frustrated you have made some clear progress.  I'm very impressed.  I will follow closely.

[Shammah]

That spacing is much better. Take a look at the spacing between the chest plates and the actual diamond. Is there room to trim just a skosh off the plates there?

As for weathering, when light colors get weathered they stain dark. When dark colors stain they get light. Think of salt stains (white) from sweat, pollen (yellow) from the plants you walked through. How about the limestone type rocks you may have been operating in or the last place you sat to take a break? Think hard about where you've been operating. Did you kneel in something, rub against something or crawl through something or splash in a mud puddle that got your pants cuffs? These would all leave distinct shapes and colors to your kit. Apply different colors using several different methods so you mimic reality. I've seen some great kits totally ruined because they used the very same damage and/or weathering uniformly on the whole kit. Real dirt and weathering is completely random. High, or outside edges of armor are rubbed a lot so that's where the silver shows through, but they may also catch all the dirt depending on where they are. The flight suit, vest and boots are the same way. Your cape would likely keep the areas it covers somewhat clean. The swaying action from walking may even polish them a bit, but it would carry the dirt it protected your kit from. Look closely at work clothes and those great boots you did. Natural wear  tells a story of where the items have been and the human eye knows the difference whether the mind picks up on it or not. That is the difference between simply adding damage and great weathering.

[trashcanmando]

Vod your kit is coming along great. Also I'm impressed with how you at taking the feedback.  It's great that you keep hitting the ropes so to speak and finishing up what will be an amazing look.  Don't get frustrated you have made some clear progress.  I'm very impressed.  I will follow closely.

Thanks, vod, means a lot to me. 

Okay! Today was a big day, even though I don't have much to show! I trimmed the  chest plates around the diamond, reweathered the flight suit and flak vest, got the padding in the helmet, and got all the velcro on my vest! So I can officially say... I'm ready to take pre-app pictures! Feels completely surreal.

I finished up really late, so no pics of the flight suit and plates and all that, there isn't a terrible lot to show, but here's the finished helmet interior:



And I am extremely happy to say that the next pictures you guys see from me will be my pre-app and app pics!

[Shammah]

Very good.

[aforklikeutensil]

Kind of hard to tell, but do you have any padding in the top/crown of the helmet?  You definitely want at least a thin padding layer in there to diffuse pressure if not.

And I am extremely happy to say that the next pictures you guys see from me will be my pre-app and app pics!

Sweet.

[trashcanmando]

Kind of hard to tell, but do you have any padding in the top/crown of the helmet?  You definitely want at least a thin padding layer in there to diffuse pressure if not.

Nope, there's no pad in the top. I messed around with several different padding positions, and if I put the top in, it holds the helmet up too far and I'm not actually looking through the visor, but more at the corners of the mandibles. Too much padding will hold it up too far as well- the top actually has to be touching my head for me to look through it properly. If I put a pad in there it would have to be very thin indeed.

The whole thing also has a tendency to lean just the tiniest bit to the side, weighed down by the rangefinder. I'm still messing around with padding configurations. These didn't come with any diagrams so I just made my best guess and stuck 'em in with enough velcro to move them around freely. It might take me some time to find the perfect arrangement.

[aforklikeutensil]

Gotcha.  A balaclava might be enough, then.

As far at the balance thing goes, you can always use small washers to strategically add weight for counter balance.  Some people glue them in and paint over them, but I've seen others hide it in their padding.  If you plan on adding fans to the helmet the placement of your battery pack can work, too.

[trashcanmando]

Nice, thanks for the tips. I got a doorag to hold my hair back, and the rangefinder isn't actually an issue with just that on.

Pre-app is posted! If that goes smoothly, I'll put my official app in, and here's a copy for you guys:













Wish me luck!

[Og' Reh]

I'm out of internet for a week and you're in the doorstep of OM!

Should I take month holidays I'd find you I  your own Star Wars freighter! ;]

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

[trashcanmando]

  Thanks, vod! Pre-app consensus was that there's a few things I need to get sorted with my plates still, wear the sash over the flak vest, and it would be preferable to get another weapon.

So there's a staff sitting on my bedroom floor now.  Should be ready for pics later today. I just have to weather the leather handles and paracord wrap, and figure out how to make one of the leather grips lie flat.... gr... I've been putting off fixing the plates, needed a little break from those.

[trashcanmando]

Took longer than I thought, but I finished up my staff! It's made of one-inch PVC cut into 20 inch lengths, connectors, and caps. Plus some paint, leather, and paracord. I like it a lot.  The entire thing comes apart for easy transport, and it'll make that eventual upgrade to a spear type weapon a lot easier.  8)





Edit: Fixed up the plates too! Not really enough of a difference to be worth taking pictures, though

[Og' Reh]

Cool!

When do you plan to apply for OM?